Association Between Household Livestock Ownership and Stunting in Children Younger Than 5 Years in Central Rural India: Protocol for a Case-Control Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In resource-constrained environments where malnutrition in children is common, people coexist closely with livestock. Undernutrition, which can result in stunting, wasting, and being underweight, is still a major public health issue for children in India. Livestock serves as a direct source of protein through animal-source foods such as meat, milk, and eggs, which significantly reduce undernutrition in children younger than 5 years. The association between livestock ownership and stunting in children has not been explored well in Maharashtra, India.

Objective

This study evaluates the relationship between stunting among children younger than 5 years in central India and livestock ownership by using the Tropical Livestock Unit (TLU) score.

Methods

A community

SUBMITTER: Tawde PP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12464499 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature